Method of and apparatus for cutting soap and the like



Jan 22 1924. 1 1,481,416 .1. R. COVE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTINGSOAP AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 30, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 awweutoz MAW) mZED/516 Jams 22 1924. 1,481,416

J. R. COVE METHOD OF AND APiARATUS FOR CUTTING SOAP AND THE LIKE FiledOct. 30, 1.922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 emma 1.... 22 1924.

, UNITED "STATES 1,481,416 PATENT. OFFICE-7' JAMES R. COVE, OF ARLINGTONHEIGHTS, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO LEVER BROTHERS COMPANY, OFCAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FORCUTTING SQAP AND THE LIKE.

' Application filed October so, 1922; Serial no. 591,711.-

ap is commonly sold in cartons.

v m The filling. and weighing of the cartons is usually performed byautomatic machinery. Considerable difliculty has heretofore beenexperienced in depositing the requisite quantity of soap flakes in eachcarton. It frequently ha pens that a" carton receives more or less t anthe specified amount of soap flakes, with consequent loss to themanufacturer or to the consumer. This situation has been attributed tothe fact that the flakes have heretofore been and now commonly are ofirregular shape and varying sizes. This has made it diflicult to controlthe stream of soap flakes assing into the cartons from the hoppers ofthe filling and weighing machines. The object of the invention is -toavoid this difliculty by producing a method of and apparatus for cuttingthe soap into pieces or flakes of uniform size .and regular shape. Theexact contour of the shape is of less importance, the desideratum beingthat the flakes be of a given and uniform size. By the form of apparatuschosen to carry out the method of the invention the sheet of soap is cutinto diamond shaped pieces or flakes. It will be understood, however,that the invention is not to be restricted to the production of diamondshaped flakes of soap or the like, inasmuch as flakes of various othershapes may be equally well produced by the practice of the invention.The method and apparatus of the invention are fully describedhereinafter and articularly pointed out in the appended claims. I

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of apparatus forcarrying out .the method part of the invention is illustrated as appliedto the'finishing roll of a .soap machine. Fig, 1 is a top plan, with thesheet of soap into longitudinal strips;

-Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section,

of the parts shown in Fig.- 3; 'Fig. 5 is a front elevation of one ofthe units of the cutter for cutting the sheet of soap into transversestrips; Fig. 6 is a plan of a portion of the sheet of soap, showingdiagrammatically the preferred method of cutting to produce flakes ofuniform size and regular shape; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of oneof the diamond shaped flakes.

The method of the invention consists in forming a plurality of series ofuniformly spaced and intersecting cuts in the sheet of soap as it passesover the finishing roll of the soap machine. The invention isconveniently practiced by forming a series of uniformly spacedtransverse cuts (preferably diagonal) in the sheet of soap and thenforming a series of uniformly spaced longitudinal cuts intersecting thetransverse cuts. If the transverse cuts are at rightangles with thelongitudinal cuts, it will be obvious that the resulting pieces orflakes will be square and that if the transverse cuts cross thelongitudinal cuts diagonally, the result- 1 ing pieces or flakes willhave a diamond. shape. By variously arranging the relationship'of thecutting edges, pieces or flakes of other contour may be produced.

The invention may be practiced in connection with any usual or preferredform of soap machine having a finishing roll over whlch a sheet of soapis adapted to travel. The discharge end of such a machine is shown inthe drawings. The finishing roll 10 is shown as mounted in the two sideframes 11 and may be driven from any convenient source of power. Thefinishing roll 10 travels in the direction indicated by the arrow in iFig. 2 and the sheet of soap of necessity travels in the same direction.When the sheet of soap has been cut, it is removed from thefinishingroll .10 by a scraper 12 arranged axially oflthe roll andbearing against the surface of the roll. The parts thus far describedand their associated parts -ions are all of common and well knownconstruction and therefore need no further particular description.

The preferred form of apparatus for carrying out the method part ofthe'invention comprises a cutter 14 arranged axially of the finishingroll 10 and having a series of spirally disposed, uniformly s acedcutting edges. The cutter 14 is journa ed in brackets 15 loosely mountedon the rod 16 which extends transversely across the top of the machineand is secured to the frames 11. The cutter 14 rests on the surface ofthe finishing roll 10 and the rotation of the latter causes the cutterto rotate. The outer 14 consists of a series of cutter units 17, asshown in Fig. 5. The cutter units 17 are provided with key-ways 18adapted to receive a key 19 fixed in a spline cut axially in the surfaceof the shaft 20 on which the cutter 14 is mounted. The key-ways 18 areso positioned with respect to the cutting edges 21 of each cutter unitthat when the cutter units are assembled, the cutting edges 21 willjormcontinuous spirals throughout the length of the cutter 14. Hence, when asheet of soa travels over the surface of the finishing ro l 10 and underthe cutter 14 a series of oblique, uniformly spaced cuts will be formedtransversely of the sheet of soap, as indicated by the dot and dashlines 23 in' Fig. 6. The sheet of soap is conveniently about sixthousandths of an inch in thickness.

Although the cutter 14 is heavy and is mounted to rest upouthe peripheryof the finishing roll, the transverse cuts made in the sheet of soap bythe cutter do not sever it into detached strips. The transverse stripsformed by the cutter 14 adhere together at the bottom of the cuts by avery thin web, so that they are properly presented to the cutterswhicHform the intersecting or longitudinal cuts in the sheet of soap.The longitudinal or intersecting cuts are formed by a series. ofuniformly spaced cutter discs 25, each of which is mounted in a separatebracket 26 provided with a hook-shaped head 27. To eliminate friction,the cutters 25 are mounted on ball bearings 28. The series of cutters'25 are mounted to rest upon the periphery of the finishing roll, andfor this urpose the hook-shaped ends 27 of the brac ets 26 looselyengage the rod 29 supported longitudinally of the finishing roll fromextensions 30 of the brackets 15. The brackets 26 are machined to auniform thickness so that when the cutters 25 are assembled, as showninFig. 1, the cutters 25 are spaced a uniform distance apart, preferablyaboutone-half inch. The distance between the cutting ed es 21 of cutter14 is also conveniently a out onehalf inch. As the sheet of soapadvances be-' tween the finishing roll and the series of cutters 25, aseries of uniformly spaced longitudinal cuts 31 are formed in the sheetof soap, intersecting the transverse cuts 23.

formed are, however, so thin that when the scraper 12 removes the cutend of the sheet of soap from the finishin roll, the soap breaks up intodiamond s aped flakes 32, one of which is shown in F ig. 7. I

One practical result of cutting the sheet of soap into pieces or flakes.of uniform size and regular shape is .that the automatic filling andweighing machines can operate more efficiently and at a higher rate ofroduction.- Moreover, the quantity and Weight of the flakes placed ineach carton is more uniform than has been possible with the old methodsof flaking the soap. So far as known, this is the first time it has beenproposed to cut soap into flakes of uniform size and shape and thereforeit is desired to claim the invention broadly.

'Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. Themethod of producing flaked material which consists in feeding arelatively thin sheet of the material to be flaked in one direction,cuttin said sheet in a transverse direction to the me of feed, saidcutting operation terminating short of complete penetration,then-cutting said sheet in a direction substantially parallel to theline of feed, said second named cutting operation terminating short ofcomplete penetration, and finally separating the sheet into flakes alongthe line of the cuts.

2. The method of cutting a sheet of soap and the like into flakes whichconsists in feeding the sheet in one direction and forming a series ofoblique cuts transversely of the line of feed, which cuts do not severadjacent portions of the sheet, then forming a series of cuts adapted tointersect said ohlique cuts, and finally-separating the sheet intoflakes along the lines of the cuts.

3. The method of cutting a sheet of soap and the like into flakes ofuniform size and shape-which consists in feeding the sheet in onedirection and in forming a series of uniformly spaced cuts adapted topartially separate adjacent portions of the sheet and extendtransversely thereof in one direction, forming a series ofuniformly'spaced'cuts in another direction which intersect said firstnamed cuts, and finally deflecting said out sheet during a continuationof the feeding operation, which deflection serves to sepv arate thesheet into flakes along the lines of the cuts.

4. An apparatus for cuttin like into diamond shaped flal a movingsurface over. which be cut is fed, a cutter es comprising the materialto having a series of soap and the equally spaced spiral cutting eformed thereon adapted torest upon t e moving surface and to be actuatedthereby, and a series of spaced cutters for cutting the material intolongitudinal strips. i

5. An apparatus for cutting a sheet of soap and the like into diamondshaped flakes comprising a cutter having a series of spiral cuttingedges for forming obliquely disposed cuts in the sheet of the material,a series of spaced cutters for forming a series of longitudinal cuts inthe material and which intersect the oblique cuts, and means foreffecting relative movement between the cutters and the sheet ofmaterial.

6. An apparatus for cutting a sheet of soap and the like into regularlyshaped pieces of uniform size, comprising a moving roll over'which thesheet of soap is fed, a cutter arranged axially of the roll and having aseries of uniformly spaced cutting edges adapted to rest on the surfaceof the roll so as to thereby rotate the cutter and form a series oftransverse cuts in the sheet ofsoap, a. series of uniformly spacedcutting edges arranged be ond the first cutter for forming a series 0outs in the sheet of soap which intersect the transverse series of cuts,and means for removing the cut flakes from the roll.

7. An apparatus for cutting soap andthe like into regularly shapedflakes of uniform size comprising a moving surface over which thematerial to be cut is fed, a cutter arranged transversely of thedirection of travel of the moving surface and having a series of equallyspaced cutting edges formed thereon adapted to rest upon the movingsurface so as to be actuated thereby to form in the sheet of material aseries of uniformly spaced transverse cuts, a series of uniformly spacedcutting edges adapted to contact with the moving surface at a pointbeyond the first cutter to form in the-sheet of material a series ofuniformly spaced cut-s which intersect the transverse cuts, and meansfor removing the out flakes from the surface.

JAMES R. COVE.

